July 2025 Monthly Newsletter

Webinars:

WA Cares Basics: What Providers Need to Know webinar from 11 a.m. – noon on August 5.

Before benefits begin in July 2026, the WA Cares Fund will work to register a diverse range of qualified providers for each covered service. To ensure quality care, providers must meet minimum qualifications to participate. Once registered, beneficiaries can choose from these providers — empowering them to select the services that best meet their needs within their own communities.

We will cover how the program works, types of providers that will be able to register, minimum qualifications and requirements providers will have to meet and how to register as a qualified provider. Register today.

Find recordings of more past webinars and learn more about upcoming webinars on our website.

Featured video:  

ICYMI: WA Cares Basics: What Workers Need to Know. We discussed what long-term care includes, how caregiving responsibilities impact families and the workplace, who contributes to the fund, how exemptions work, contribution requirements and more. Watch the replay on YouTube.

Monthly FAQ:  How will WA Cares determine whether someone has a care need? 

To evaluate your care needs, we will look at whether you need help with three or more activities of daily living, such as bathing, managing medications, moving from one place to another (mobility), transferring to or from a chair, getting out of bed, using the bathroom and managing personal hygiene. This may be based on self-report and could be verified by a health professional. We will also ask about any memory or cognitive issues that impact your daily life.

LTSS Trust Commission:

The Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Commission, which works on behalf of Washington employees and long-term care stakeholders to improve, monitor and implement WA Cares, will hold a Commission meeting from 1-4 p.m. on July 16.

Find meeting details and learn more about the Commission.

Rulemaking:

WA Cares filed proposed rules (WSR 25-13-096) with the Washington State Code Reviser’s Office on June 17. The proposed rules cover general provisions, beneficiary eligibility determinations, and requirements to provide approved services.

This filing was completed after WA Cares conducted 10 listening sessions to hear the needs and ideas of community members, and an informal review period including two interested parties meetings to hear feedback on the draft rule language. A hearing is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5.

WA Cares is preparing to file CR-102 for additional proposed rules. An interested parties meeting will occur at 11 a.m. on July 16 to review draft rule text and receive verbal comments on the draft rule text. Draft rule text and registration information can be found on the WA Cares rulemaking website.

Request a speaker:  

Interested in an in-person or virtual presentation on WA Cares for your staff, HR professionals, managers, professional/community organization, or other group in 2025? Fill out our speaker request form we will get back to you with our staff’s availability.